Are you considering having an app developed for your business? This is a decision that can make all the difference. A few years down the lane, you can be telling a totally different story about your business depending upon the decisions you make in this moment.
If you need help from experts, so you can create a better future by making one correct choice, you have landed at the right place. Read through this page and by the end of this article, we guarantee you would have made the right decision that will create all the difference.
Does Your Business need a mobile app?
Irrelevant to the type of business, a mobile app is an innovative and vital requirement for modern businesses. Increased accessibility for both business and consumers through push notifications, alerts, multiple payment options and many other features has helped businesses grow their revenue up to several folds. Mobile apps help you
- Collect and access information,
- Analyze data,
- Generate reports,
- Supervise and monitor processes and
- Even interact with potential consumers
Valuable data collection and processing was never so easy before the introduction of dynamic business tools known to us as mobile apps. If you are looking to elevate your business by adding the factor of convenience to access, mobile apps should be your choice of weapon.
What type of App to opt for?
After establishing that your business can in fact benefit from a mobile app, you have to choose from the type of app that is most suitable for your business. Provided Native and Hybrid mobile apps are the two contenders leading the market, it should be a simple and straightforward decision, but it is not. There is a lot more variation in the two types of apps other than speed, interface and responsiveness.
Even before you begin to contemplate or try to understand the difference between two types it is important that you should define your elevator pitch and target audience. This will be a major deciding factor when choosing between a native app and a hybrid app. What is product type, who is your audience and how you will be marketing your product will play a major role in what type of app will meet your business needs.
Comparison of Native vs Hybrid Apps
Native apps are designed for a specific operating system (OS), software framework or hardware framework, while hybrid apps are a cross-platform program that is compatible with multiple systems and frameworks.
When opting for native app development you will have to decide between iOS and Android and choose a programming language accordingly. This choice is obviously dictated by your target audience and your marketing strategy. Android is a more global platform with a larger number of users and cheaper to maintain ecosystem while iOS have mainly North American and Western European users with higher spending and brand-conscious attitude.
On the other hand, hybrid apps use HTML5 coding that is compatible with both iOS and Android. This means one single code can be written for the app and you will be good for both platforms.
Of course, you can have the native app developed in two different languages so it can be compatible for both platforms, but that will take more time and money on your part. Still, it will be a challenge to have exactly the same features for each platform as coding languages are different for each.
Pros of Native Apps
Native apps are a great option for HD action games, animation programs and software that require great responsiveness and connectivity.
- Native apps are designed for the particular platform and thus they are faster, more responsive and more connected with the particular framework overall creating a better user experience.
- Native apps will be able to easily access the camera, microphones, GPS, gallery and other hardware.
- It can conveniently be integrated with modern features like VR, AR etc.
- Smart watches are growing increasingly popular, but that is a market only available to Native apps and Hybrid Apps are not welcome there for now.
- Can work even when internet access is not available.
Cons of Native Apps
While it seems more sophisticated in a way to have a native app developed, it does have its limitations and challenges.
- It will be an expensive and demanding project that will take more time to complete and higher maintenance cost.
- You will have to hire two different teams who specialise for two different platforms.
- It can be challenging to have exactly the same features for the same app on two different platforms.
- Expert native app developers are hard to come by and can be expensive to hire.
They have slower market entry and require a manual update.
Native Apps |
|
Pros | Cons |
Faster, more responsive and more connected with the particular framework | Expensive and demanding project that will take more time |
Easily access the camera, microphones, GPS, gallery and other hardwares | May need to hire two different teams |
Can be integrated with modern features like VR, AR etc | Can be challenging to have exactly the same features on two different platforms |
Smart watches is a market only available to Native apps | Expert native app developers are hard to come by |
Work even when internet access is not available | Have slower market entry and require manual update |
Pros of Hybrid Apps
A great option for businesses trying to roll in a convenient and quick launch of an app within a budget.
- Less development cost and time required with cheaper maintenance.
- Hybrid apps can have a stand-alone front for all platforms, which help developers to focus more on the back end, managing workflow and completing the project faster.
- Apps can have exactly the same features across all platforms since the basic coding structure is written in one language.
- Hybrid apps take the crown for fast and seamless, regular updates for users.
- It is a lot easier to make improvements and fix issues for hybrid apps.
Cons of Hybrid Apps
Obviously, a more affordable and less time-consuming option, it does have some limitations.
- Slower performance and require an internet connection to work
- Limited access to the hardware of smartphones.
Source code vulnerabilities and code imperfections that create bugs is a drawback for hybrid apps, but since updates are very easy, this is not a serious issue or a deal-breaker.
Hybrid Apps |
|
Pros | Cons |
Less development cost and time required with cheaper maintenance. | Slower performance and require internet connection to work |
Can have a stand alone front for all platforms, which saves time | Limited access to hardware of smartphones. |
Apps can have exactly the same features across all platforms | Source code vulnerabilities and code imperfections |
Fast and seamless, regular updates | |
Easier to make improvements and fix issues for hybrid apps |
Conclusion
There is no denying Native apps are faster, higher performing and better user experience. However, they are also a lot more expensive and time-consuming projects. It is an ideal candidate for HD games, animations and graphical applications. However, for most businesses, the hybrid app is a more affordable option that is less demanding in terms of time, effort and money and gives good results if HD graphics and high speeds are not vital demands of the project. Mostly gaming apps require speed and highly advanced responsiveness, otherwise, a hybrid app is a great affordable option. For startups and businesses on budget or time constraint, a hybrid app is a more suitable choice.